Chapter 355: 355 Jujutsu Kaisen 20
That evening, we had a party with the mansion’s family, featuring seafood. I laid out an extravagant spread including various types of sashimi and seafood stew. We also had some drinks—Utahime drank quite a bit, as if to reward herself for all her hard work.
"Ughh... hangover..."
Utahime approached the children to bathe with them, since it was her day to watch them, but the children held their noses and said.
"Ew... Teacher, you smell like alcohol."
"Ahaha, sorry. I drank a lot last night and fell asleep without washing up. I’ll go wash right away."
After bathing with the children and having breakfast, I called Utahime over during a short break.
"Why did you call me..."
I handed Utahime a new miko outfit made of high-quality fabric, tailored to be sturdy.
"You’ve worked hard. That’s a gift from your master."
Utahime shed tears and bowed her head respectfully to me.
"Thank you for everything, Master!"
"But this isn’t the end. You can still get stronger. You still have Domain Expansion to learn, and the Cursed Wheel Cannon can become even more powerful the more you practice."
"Yes, I’ll train hard."
I talked with Utahime for a while. She wasn’t leaving immediately just because training was over. From now on, since there would be no more training, she would take on missions to exorcise cursed spirits on the four days previously scheduled for training, and continue watching the children for the other three days. In another year, the children would start elementary school, and Utahime wanted to take care of them until then.
While Utahime watched the children, I went to the training ground to repair it. Calling workers and rebuilding would take time and be troublesome, so I used my [Restoration] ability to quickly repair it, then reinforced it with [Matter Creation] and [Matter Manipulation] to make it even sturdier. Contrary to what Tsukumo and Utahime thought, I still needed the training ground.
After finishing the repairs, I immediately left for the US. I needed to bring back Amanai and Kuroi. Originally, the plan was for half a year, but because Renzoku Women’s Academy was a prestigious school, they said they couldn’t accept Amanai into the same grade after a six-month absence.
So she had to either repeat second grade or take a transfer exam for third grade. Since Amanai insisted on graduating with her friends, she chose to take the third-grade transfer exam, which delayed my return.
Amanai grumbled about that too, saying she had to keep studying even in America. Still, after half a year, neither the Sorcerer Association, curse users, nor the Time Vessel Association showed any interest, so she could keep in touch with her classmates and Satoru’s group.
"Long time no see. Have you been well?"
"Yes, thanks to your care, we’ve been very well."
Kuroi greeted me cheerfully, but Amanai didn’t look well.
"Quadratic formula... negative b plus or minus the square root of b squared minus 4ac... divided by 2a..."
"Ahaha... the young lady has been preparing for her exams for a few days now..."
With dark circles under Amanai’s eyes, I felt I had made a mistake in not giving her more time.
Anyway, we took a plane and arrived back in Japan. At the airport, Satoru, Suguru, and Tsukumo were there to meet us—I had informed them in advance.
"Oh! You’re here! Amanai, over here!"
Still, perhaps happy to be back on Japanese soil, Amanai snapped out of it and greeted Satoru and the others warmly.
"Ahem! This girl has tasted the waters of America, you know!"
Amanai struck her usual proud pose and declared, but everyone ignored her and talked among themselves.
"Satoru, there’s a good restaurant near the airport. Want to go there?"
"Oh~ really? What do they serve?"
"Tonkatsu."
"Sounds good. Head Priest, Tsukumo, is that okay with you?"
"Sure."
"Okay."
Amanai Riko flared up.
"Hey!!! Don’t ignore me!!!"
We ended up going to the tonkatsu restaurant Suguru recommended and continued our conversation.
"So I had to study a year’s worth of material in half a year in America, and it was tough."
"That can’t be helped. But since you were in America, you must have seen a lot of things."
"While staying in Manhattan, I saw the Statue of Liberty in person, went up the Empire State Building observation deck, and enjoyed almost daily walks in Central Park. The city’s energy and the park’s tranquility somehow go well together. I even went to Niagara Falls and the Grand Canyon... truly an unforgettable experience!"
"Huh... I’d like to go sometime."
"Keep saying that! I could even guide you."
As Amanai Riko excitedly talked about her life in America, Tsukumo watched her with a warm smile. Seeing a fellow Star Plasma Vessel live so well and return to Japan must have made her happy too.
"So, how are you going to live from now on? The Association’s support has been cut off, hasn’t it?"
When Satoru asked, I answered for her.
"They’ll live at my mansion. That way, the curse users and the Time Vessel Association won’t dare touch them."
"Really? That’s a relief. If you had nowhere to go, I was thinking the Gojo clan could take care of you."
Then Suguru said.
"Would Amanai really be able to endure the Three Great Families?"
"True, the old-fashioned families would be tough."
Even Satoru had to admit it. He knew his own family was excessively rigid. In families that value tradition in Japan, women have many rules to follow. Especially among the Three Great Families in the Jujutsu Kaisen universe—it would be severe.
We finished our meal like that and went outside.
"Anyway, I’m glad you’re healthy. Honestly, if the mission had failed and something had happened to Amanai, I think it would have been psychologically hard on us."
When Suguru said that, Satoru nodded in agreement.
"Right. I was scared the kid would appear in my dreams."
Then Kuroi urged Amanai.
"Go on, young lady. Say what you couldn’t say back then."
"I know, Kuroi."
Blushing and fidgeting with her hands, Amanai bowed her head and said.
"Everyone, thank you so much for helping me live longer in this world!"
Everyone there smiled.
"Riko-chan, live happily with Kuroi-san from now on. That’s how we’ll feel it was worthwhile."
"If you ever need help, just say so."
With that, Satoru and Suguru left, and we returned to the mansion. As soon as we arrived, I assigned them rooms. Kuroi insisted on having the room next to Amanai’s, so I let her. Then I introduced Amanai and Kuroi to the family living at the mansion. I had already told Utahime about them in advance.
"Hello."
When the children gave their belly-button bows again, Amanai and Kuroi looked at them with loving eyes.
"Wow~ Kuroi, we have cute little sisters now?"
"So we do."
"Can’t I play with these cute little sisters for a while?"
"I’d like to too, but no. You need to unpack and study. Your exams are right around the corner."
"Tch, I know."
Since Renzoku Women’s Academy was a bit far from the mansion, we discussed how to handle it. Because Kuroi knew how to drive, I prepared a car for them to use. I also gave them each a watch equipped with a device for location tracking and signaling in case of emergency.
Now that Amanai’s situation was settled, I thought about the future.
’Now I only need to handle Megumi, Tsumiki, and Todo, and things should be quiet for a while.’
Todo Aoi, in the original story, grew up as Tsukumo’s disciple before entering the school. I couldn’t ignore Todo because he played a very important role in the original story—he was an essential presence. However, due to my influence, Tsukumo’s movements had changed significantly, making it impossible for Tsukumo and Todo to meet as they did originally. So I needed to take care of him.
And with Megumi and Tsumiki’s connection to Satoru gone, I needed to take care of them too. I had gone to check on them once before. But Toji had remarried Tsumiki’s mother to gain the Fushiguro surname, and she, Tsumiki, and Megumi were still living together, so bringing them was ambiguous.
They lived in a shabby, small apartment, and Tsumiki’s mother worked hard to barely make ends meet. But she was still young and attractive, so she was popular at work, and there were many men approaching her. Seeing this, I suspected that the reason she abandoned the children wasn’t just financial hardship, but because she had met a man and wanted to start a new family.
’I’ll have to wait a little longer to bring Megumi and Tsumiki.’
The next day, Utahime returned to the mansion after completing a mission, grumbling. I asked what was wrong.
"Huh? What happened?"
"Well, they said I’m still under first-grade review, so I’m only being assigned missions appropriate for second grade. Tsukumo-san, a special grade, even recommended me, so they could just promote me to first grade, but they’re being so strict."
"I understand you want to be recognized quickly now that your training is done, but don’t be too impatient. They probably have their own procedures. And doing light missions isn’t bad—you can improve your combat sense."
"That’s true, but..."
Judging from Utahime’s expression, there seemed to be another reason.
"Don’t tell me, you got teased by Gojo again?"
When I asked, Utahime hesitated for a moment, then answered.
"Well... yes..."
"That must have been when you went to the school with Tsukumo to get her recommendation for first grade. What did he say to make you so impatient?"
"He said I’d been gone for a year and came back a cursed energy pig, and with that much cursed energy, why am I still second grade..."
Indeed, Utahime had stored quite a lot of cursed energy thanks to the Dantian Storage Technique. That was probably why.
"But at least he didn’t call you weak, did he?"
"No, but it’s frustrating. If I get first grade quickly, I won’t have to hear that kind of thing..."
"So that’s why you were impatient."
"Yes."
From this conversation, I could see how much stress Satoru was causing Utahime.
"Utahime, you definitely have the skills of a first-grade sorcerer. That’s why Satoru doesn’t call you weak anymore—he says things like that because he wants you to hurry up and become first grade."
"Is that so?"
"So try not to worry about it too much—just calm your mind. If you keep dwelling on it, it could affect other things."
"Understood."
"And if Satoru stresses you out that much, just avoid him from now on. Even if you run into him by chance, don’t pay attention to what he says."
"Okay, I’ll try that."
"If he still comes looking for you to tease you, tell me. I’ll have a word with him."
"Okay."
A few days later, Utahime came running with a very bright face.
"Master, look! I’ve become first grade!"
"Oh~ really?"
Utahime excitedly showed me a card—it was an official first-grade certificate from the Association. And there was more good news: Amanai had passed her transfer exam.
"We should have a party today. Let me know what you want to eat."
"Hmm? Well... we had seafood last time, so how about meat?"
"Meat, got it."
"And can I invite some people I know?"
"Of course. I should tell Amanai to invite her friends too."
I thought about what to cook. Since many people were coming, I decided to make Texas brisket, spare ribs, and grilled sausage. Texas brisket normally takes a long time, but I had some pre-made in my inventory, so there was no problem. The spare ribs and grilled sausage I could make on time.
While I was grilling, people began to arrive. On Utahime’s side came Ieiri, Yaga, Uraume, Mei Mei, Suguru, Satoru, and even Nanami and Haibara. On Amanai’s side, she brought friends from Renzoku Women’s Academy. Since about ten people were coming, I had to lend them a limousine.
"Shoko! How could you invite Satoru!"
"When I called, he was right next to me, so he heard everything. It’s not like I did it on purpose."
Utahime, displeased that Satoru had come, grabbed Ieiri and shook her. Meanwhile, Satoru and Suguru were striking poses in front of the middle school girls.
"Ohoh!"
KYAAAH! So handsome~!
Even Amanai looked troubled by the situation.
Before things became more chaotic, I served the food. Of course, I also prepared plenty for the mansion staff.
"Wow~ this is so delicious!"
"I know, the best thing I’ve eaten in a while."
"I didn’t know the Head Priest was such a good cook."
"Right? I was surprised too the first time I ate his cooking."
"Satoru, don’t just eat meat. Have some salad too."
"You eat more!"
Nanami, Haibara, and Mei Mei, who were trying it for the first time, were very surprised, while the others who had eaten my cooking before nodded in agreement. The middle school girls, Amanai’s friends, also ate with admiration.
While taking care of the Maki and Mai sisters and the Mimiko and Nanako sisters, I glanced at Mei Mei. The reason I was interested in Mei Mei was that she possessed a technique I needed.
Mei Mei was a very unique person.
She had bright sky-blue hair tied up in a ponytail, giving a mature and refined impression. Her all-black attire—a suit-style top and long skirt—paired with long boots, further accentuated her strong, unique aura.
Mei Mei was a cold realist who always prioritized money. Her saying, "I’m on the side of money," was no joke—it was her life’s creed. The interesting thing was her reason for saving money: rather than seeking money for consumption, she was playing a game of saving.
Her technique was ’Black Bird Manipulation’—the ability to manipulate crows. She can control multiple crows simultaneously and share their vision, making it suitable for infiltration and surveillance missions. However, since the cursed energy of the animals themselves is very weak, it’s of little help in combat.
To overcome this limitation, she uses a technique called ’Bird Strike,’ which activates a binding that sacrifices the crow’s life, lifting the cursed energy limit and allowing it to charge and attack the opponent. Moreover, thinking her technique was weak, she devoted herself to physical reinforcement and training using cursed energy for a while, becoming a hard-working powerhouse capable of massacring second-grade and below without using her technique.
The reason I was interested in this technique was that it would allow me to conduct reconnaissance without moving myself or sending shadow soldiers, and even when I wasn’t present, I could provide support or attack using Bird Strike. Furthermore, through my [Manifestation Reduction Technique] ability, with a little more research, I might be able to control not only crows but also other birds, and even insects.
So it was one of the techniques I wanted to acquire. Since Mei Mei could be bought for money, and I was among the richest in Japan (overwhelmingly number one if including hidden accounts), I thought we would naturally meet someday.
"By the way, I never thought Utahime would become first grade. I thought she’d be stuck at second grade forever. I wonder if she’s overexerting herself."
When Suguru said that, Mei Mei shook her head and countered.
"You all don’t know anything, do you? I was truly surprised. I don’t know what kind of training Utahime did as the Head Priest’s disciple for a year, but I never imagined she would become this strong. We went on a mission together recently, and she single-handedly handled a first-grade cursed spirit with ease. In my opinion, Utahime is now stronger than me. You can tell just by looking at her increased cursed energy."
Surprised by Mei Mei’s high evaluation, Satoru and Suguru looked astonished.
"I didn’t know Mei Mei-san would rate her so highly. Well, her cursed energy has increased dramatically in a year."
"I don’t know what kind of magic the Head Priest worked, but I’m tempted to ask for his help myself."
I was eavesdropping on their conversation using my [Goro Goro no Mi (Rumble-Rumble Fruit)] ability. Surprisingly, it seemed Mei Mei hadn’t come here today for money.
’Could it be... she came to get a hint on how to become stronger?’
